Assistant or Associate Professor Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Westminster University seeks an Assistant or Associate Professor Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Click here to view position profile: https://summitsearchsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/WestminsterUniversity_Faculty_CMH_Counseling_Profile.pdf
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

The Position:
Westminster University in Salt Lake City seeks a full-time (9-month), permanent Assistant or Associate Professor in the CACREP-accredited Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program (CMHC) starting Fall of 2023 or Spring/Summer of 2024.

Westminster has been educating master’s level practitioners since 2007. With a strong base of ethical behavior, counseling theories, professional counseling identity, treatment planning, counseling research, assessment, and professional development, students graduate with a capacity for critical thinking and counseling effectiveness that can be translated into practice with adults, children, families, and groups from diverse backgrounds. The master’s program is a full-time, residential, cohort-based model that fosters an interpersonal learning environment. Small classes and a vibrant learning community facilitate a student-centered, interactive learning approach.

Westminster has developed over two dozen clinical internship and practicum sites, providing students with the opportunity to select from a variety of supervised training experiences while cultivating relationships with licensed clinical mental health counselors and other mental health professionals. In January 2023, a low-fee community clinic was opened, providing services for underserved populations, and offering intensive faculty supervision for students.

In response to a local provider shortage, the institution has doubled the size of the entering graduate cohort and the Masters in CMHC is now the University’s largest graduate program, with a total enrollment of 75 students. In the summer of 2025, Westminster will introduce a doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision (CES). In launching the CES doctoral program, the university aims to advance the counseling field by preparing creative teachers, thoughtful supervisors, skilled researchers, strong client advocates, and expert clinicians.

The ideal faculty candidate will display commitments to engaged teaching and research as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion. The assistant/associate professor will also have clinical and supervisory experience across multiple levels of care and varied populations. Major responsibilities include (1) instruction of master’s level courses in a face-to-face format; (2) curriculum and program development; (3) development of a student-inclusive research program; (4) supervision of counseling students and interns; (5) student admissions and advising; (6) cooperative work with agencies, schools, and the larger regional mental health community; and (7) service at the department and college levels. Beginning in the summer of 2025, responsibilities will expand to include teaching and supervision of doctoral students.

Westminster welcomes applicants with teaching and research expertise in any area relevant to clinical mental health counseling and will work with the successful candidate to create a teaching schedule that aligns with their training, experience, and interests. See here for more information about the program.  

Westminster University’s commitment to diversity and global learning is revealed in its core values, mission and vision statements, and learning goals. The institution seeks candidates who are prepared to support the learning of all students, including those from groups historically underrepresented in higher education, such as students of color, LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities, and first-generation college students.

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) accredits the institution. Westminster also has specialized accreditations such as ACBSP, AAQEP, COA, CCNE, CEPH, and CACREP.

Qualifications:
To qualify for the Assistant Professor position, the successful candidate will possess:

• A doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision prior to starting employment at Westminster;
• Demonstrated supervisory and clinical experience in multiple clinical settings;
• Demonstrated research potential;
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching, research, and clinical practice;
• Demonstrated successful face-to-face teaching at the graduate level;
• The ability to obtain a license to practice in Utah as a clinical mental health counselor*;

*NOTE: Utah offers license by endorsement: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title58/Chapter1/58-1-S302.html?v=C58-1-S302_2020051220200512 For applicants licensed in another state, 5 years minimum, do not need to start from scratch with new hours. 

To qualify for the Associate Professor position, the successful candidate should also possess: 

• A record of multiple years of successful teaching at the graduate level;
• Publications in a peer-reviewed journal and/or presentations at a regional or national counseling conference;
• Two or more years of full licensure as a Mental Health Counselor.

About the Institution:
Founded in 1875, Westminster University (formerly Westminster College) is a private, independent institution with a rich history rooted in liberal arts education. Over the last 30 years, the institution has added professional programs in business, nursing and health sciences, and education. The University has a strong academic reputation, deep community and alumni support, and a legacy of providing student-centered, liberal arts and professional education. It offers an intimate higher education experience to more than 1,200 total students, including almost 320 graduate students.

Westminster University has received numerous accolades, including:

• Ranked #5 “Best Value School”, #18 “Best Regional University”, and #15 “Best Undergraduate Teaching” institution by U.S. News and World Report in 2022,
• Recognized as a “Top Green College” by the Princeton Review in 2022,
• Recognized as the #9 “Best College for Veterans” and #12 “Best in the West” by the U.S. News and World Report in 2022,
• Ranked above two-thirds of U.S. colleges in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education 2022 College Rankings list,
• Consistently recognized as a “Best College in the West” by the Princeton Review.

Westminster’s beautiful campus is situated in a charming residential neighborhood of Salt Lake City called Sugar House, a 10-minute drive from downtown Salt Lake City.

Roughly half of Westminster’s student body comes from outside of Utah and includes students from 42 countries. Approximately 19% of students identify as US students of color. Whether students live on or off campus, they have the opportunity to participate in more than 60 active clubs and organizations, informal gatherings at Shaw Student Center, and a variety of events sponsored by the Associated Students of Westminster (ASW). In addition, the university has fifteen total men's and women’s intercollegiate teams in NCAA Division II and a competitive intramurals program. Westminster proudly sent eight student and alumni Olympians to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Westminster is the only post-secondary institution in the state of Utah awarded grant funding by the US Department of Education to host the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. McNair programs serve low-income and first-generation college students and/or students from groups underrepresented in graduate study. Since 2003, Westminster has served approximately 160 McNair students, some of whom were relocated to Salt Lake City as refugees from Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, and Bosnia. Sixteen McNair alums have earned a PhD, and 73 percent have either attained an advanced degree or remain in the graduate-study pipeline.

See here for more information on Westminster University.

Why Apply:

• This is a continuous contract faculty position with a competitive salary in a well-established, CACREP accredited, counselor education program within a private, non-religiously affiliated institution.
• Full benefits include medical insurance, a health savings account, dental insurance, life insurance, AD&D Disability, Accident Hospital Indemnity insurance, and Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Full-time faculty are eligible for elective deferrals and employer contribution to Westminster’s 403(b) plan upon date of hire and are immediately 100% vested. The university contributes 5% of eligible income on behalf of participating faculty. Full-time faculty are also eligible for tuition remission and exchange.
• Faculty have a 3:3 daytime, in-person teaching load with limited or no summer commitments in a setting where innovative, student-centered instruction is highly valued.
• Faculty each have their own research assistant, the opportunity to collaborate with the Data Science department on methodology, and department mentoring in support of developing their own research program.
• Faculty tend to stay for many years, supported by continuous contracts, administrative support for faculty initiatives, and opportunities for professional growth.
• Westminster University has a strong commitment to DEI and social justice, reflected in scholarships for minority students, the McNair Scholars Program, emphasis on recruitment of diverse students and faculty, a community clinic for underserved populations, and internship placements with diverse clinical populations.
• This position represents the opportunity to join a group of committed, lively, invested faculty who are collaborative, creative, and care what you think about counselor education. Strong administrative support ensures programs can expand in a way that preserves quality.

To Apply:
Westminster University, in consultation with Summit Search Solutions, Inc., will immediately begin a confidential review of application materials and continue until the position is filled. The institution reserves the right, once interviewing has begun, to stop accepting applications. Applications should include a curriculum vitae and a letter of interest addressing reasons for interest and experience related to the above-mentioned qualifications. All applications and nominations will be held in confidence. To apply online, go to: https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=su368

For more information or to offer recommendations:
Beth Baldino, MSW
Senior Consultant
Summit Search Solutions, Inc.
Direct: 828-216-6606
bbaldino@summitsearchsolutions.com

Westminster University provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, gender, disability, national origin, ethnic background, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.